(AC) - A Disclosure of the Hidden Treasures of Heaven Contained in the Holy Scripture or Word of the Lord, Together with Amazing Things Seen in the World of Spirits and in the Heaven of Angels

10150. And I will sanctify the Tent of meeting. That this signifies the receptivity of the Lord in the lower heavens, is evident from the signification of "sanctifying," as being receptivity of the Divine of the Lord (see just above, n. 10149); and from the signification of "the Tent of meeting," as being the heavens (n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9963); that the lower heavens are signified is because by "the altar" are signified the higher heavens (see just below, n. 10151). What is meant by the lower and the higher heavens shall here be briefly told. The heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual; the celestial kingdom makes the higher heavens, and the spiritual kingdom the lower heavens; the essential good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love; but the essential good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith. These kingdoms differ as do the understanding and the will with a regenerate man, in general as do good and truth; but what is the nature of this difference can be seen from what was shown about these two kingdoms in the places cited in n. 9277; also in n. 9543, 9688, 9992, 10005, 10068. Moreover, the will is the inmost of man, for it is the man himself; but the understanding is adjacent and subservient, thus is exterior. That which is interior is also called higher, and that which is exterior is also called lower. (That the celestial kingdom corresponds to the will, and the spiritual kingdom to the understanding, in a regenerate man, see n. 9835.) From all this it is evident what is meant by the lower heavens, and what by the higher heavens.